Lone Wolf RPG ( D20 )

In the northern land of Sommerlund, it has been the custom for many centuries to send the children of the Warrior Lords to the monastery of Kai. There they are taught the skills and disciplines of their noble fathers.

The Kai monks are masters of their art, and the children in their charge love and respect them in spite of the hardships of their training. For one day when they have finally learnt the secret skills of the Kai, they will return to their homes equipped in mind and body to defend themselves against the constant threat of war from the Darklords of the west.

In olden times, during the Age of the Black Moon, the Darklords waged war on Sommerlund. The conflict was a long and bitter trial of strength that ended in victory for the Sommlending at the great battle of Maakengorge. King Ulnar and the allies of Durenor broke the Darklord armies at the pass of Moytura and forced them back into the bottomless abyss of Maakengorge. Vashna, mightiest of the Darklords, was slain upon the sword of King Ulnar, called 'Sommerswerd', the sword of the sun. Since that age, the Darklords have vowed vengeance upon Sommerlund and the House of Ulnar.

Now it is in the morning of the feast of Fehmarn, when all of the Kai Lords are present at the monastery for the celebrations. Suddenly a great black cloud comes out from the western skies. So many are the numbers of the black-winged beasts that fill the sky, that the sun is completely hidden. The Darklords, ancient enemy of Sommlending, are attacking. War has begun.

With these words, readers of the Lone Wolf series were launched into an odyssey spanning 28 game books, 12 novels, and countless related works. The hero for most of that work was Lone Wolf, a Kai Lord and the readers’ alternate identity when traveling through the complex and often lethal world of Magnamund. The last survivor of the Kai, it was his self-appointed duty to seek vengeance for the deaths of his brothers and sisters. Through it all, readers of the Lone Wolf game books followed along with every step, every sword blow, and every use of his incredible powers.

Since then, the world of Magnamund has grown and expanded to include loyal readers from every corner of the globe. From novels that explore the Kai and their politics to fan-based fiction that continues the adventures of hundreds of other characters in the setting, the game world has become far more than the thrilling adventures of Lone Wolf himself.

That is where the book you are holding right now comes in. Lone Wolf began as a roleplaying game; it is only fitting that he has come full circle into another one. In a world as vast as Magnamund, there is plenty of room for as many heroes as there are villains. There is more than enough room for as many bastions of light as there are fell pits of darkness. Magnamund is a rich tapestry of good and evil, dozens of different cultures, and ancient artifacts resting side by side with scientific innovation. From the Dwarven Gunners of Bor to the malefic Helghasts that lurk in forgotten crypts, here then is fantasy roleplaying at its finest.

The original purpose of the Lone Wolf series was one of vengeance, but it quickly became more than that. Lone Wolf went through the cycles of a hero, taking his original quest for revenge and moving on to a noble purpose of exploration and finally restoration of his past through the rebirth of the Kai. It can truly be said that in Magnamund, great dreams can come from simple beginnings. That is the hope of any adventure set in the world of Lone Wolf; a single adventure spawning an epic of your own.

The Lone Wolf Campaign
The setting for the Lone Wolf, Adventures in Magnamund roleplaying game takes place fifty years before the events in Flight From the Dark, the first Lone Wolf game book. The Kai Monastery is at the height of its power, not crumbled and burned at the hands of a traitor to the order. The kingdom of Sommerlund is a mighty nation, secure in its power as the grandest nation on Magnamund. The Darklords of Helgedad plot and conspire in the shadows, too fearful to strike overtly outside their borders but still the black-hearted masters of all that dwell within their realm.

This then is the highest point of Lone Wolf roleplaying- the many powers of the land are the strongest they have ever been and while there is a fragile peace on Magnamund, tiny wars and border skirmishes occur constantly. The agents of evil do not move openly, but they are everywhere and watch with shadowed eyes the actions of great heroes of the realm. There is the feeling everywhere of an axe about to fall. Tensions are high, and though it will take fifty years for open conflict to sweep over the land, opportunities abound for heroes to either make a name for themselves or die a cold, lonely death…

Within These Pages
This book is the definitive guide to the world of Magnamund and the many roleplaying possibilities it provides. Here you will find the Brotherhood of the Crystal Star before their order went into seclusion. You can ride with the Sommerlund Knights of the Realm five decades before their fateful charge against the Darklord Zagarna decimated their numbers. You can walk the forests of the Wild-Lands with Telchos amazons, alert for any danger that might leap out of the toua trees. If you can imagine an adventure, it awaits you somewhere on the face (or in the dark caverns) of Magnamund.

Ahead of you lies several chapters that form the Lone Wolf setting in all its high fantasy glory. You will discover how to create Kai Lords of your own, wield their immense supernatural disciplines in battle, and take up arms against the seemingly infinite hordes of darkness that plague the land. You will find the many spells of the Crystal Star lexicons, but you will also find the magic of the Dessi and see for yourself how every different they are.

You will discover the lore of the Rangers, the wild powers of the Kundi tribes, and the ancient secrets of the divine Shianti. The wisdom of many races both old and new will be at your command, making the stories you wish to tell in your campaigns more compelling and detailed. From psychic combat to the searing force of elementalism, you will have all the power you need to do battle against the night and defend whichever kingdom you proudly call home.

There is also a gazetteer section with maps, images, and detailed descriptions of the many realms that make up Magnamund. Notes on cultures, monsters, and the inevitable dangers of the land will be at your fingertips. Want to travel into the Jungle of Horrors? This guide will let you know what plants are edible and which ones might try to eat you instead. Discover why you should stock up on your laumspur potions before taking a trip to Ruel and why a dip in the Taunor spa can be a very good idea if you are injured.

The gazetteer will also provide Games Masters with statistics for dozens of terrible beasts and vile henchmen to throw at those foolish enough to oppose the rise of the Darklords. From skulking Giaks to the raging might of the Mawtaw, these foes will pose quite a challenge for anyone determined to play hero in a world destined to fall before the might of Helgedad and its shadowy hordes. Guidelines for using these creatures and minions accompany each description, ensuring that a Games Master has everything needed to make use of the terrible powers.

What you will not find in these pages are overly complicated or burdensome rules. The combat of Lone Wolf is quick and simple, with greater emphasis placed on the descriptions and action of titanic conflict rather than the dice rolls involved. The heroes of Magnamund are too busy saving the world from unimaginable peril to worry about the minutiae of how to fight in the first place. The real battle should be against the Darklords, not the rules involved to doing so. The basic rules of Lone Wolf are just that- basic. They provide the foundation for all action in Magnamund without getting in the way of the saga that is your campaign.

Prepare Yourself for Adventure
This book contains all you need to enter the world of Magnamund and make a name for yourself as a Hero of the Realm. Whether you hail from the Kai Monastery and use your powers of mind and body in the name of justice or you wield the force of terrible magic as a Crystal Star Brother, your destiny awaits you ahead.

Welcome to Magnamund. Turn the page, and let your own epic unfold.
The Story So Far
It is the Age of the Golden Sun, centuries since the defeat of Vashna at the battle of Maakengorge by King Ulnar and his allies from the land of Durenor. For generations, Sommerlund and the surrounding kingdoms have had peace, safe in the knowledge that evil was banished from the land beneath the gleaming edge of the legendary Sommerswerd. Though the forces of the Darklords swore vengeance as they retreated from the pass of Moytura, long years of silence have proven those words empty and the powers of good rest confident in their victory.

But not everyone is so certain that peace will last. In the forested heart of Sommerlund, the Kai Monastery stands ever vigilant in their sacred task of protecting the world from the horrors of Vashna and his dark spawn. The Mage Guild of Toran continues to practice their battle magics, knowing that someday their mystical powers will be needed once more on the battlefield. And across the gulf of Durenor, legions of Durenese warriors train in the arts of war.

There are others who feel the stirrings of darkness in the land. In the shadowy places of Magnamund, minions of the foul Darklords travel in secret and make their way into the most protected of places. No city is safe from their traffic; they move like a fetid wind and slip their way unseen where no creature should be able to go. They hide in abandoned buildings, in dying trees, and in the deepest places of the world. The dark forces of evil have once again returned to their ancient lairs, readying themselves for the tide of death that is sure to come.

But Magnamund is a vast world and though the Darklords are a grave threat to all life, the many kingdoms and nations of the land have their own shadows to contend with. Sharnazim warriors keep their bitikali scimitars keen, ready at all times to drive back the advances of the united Nael-Aluvian nations. Though the unity of the alliance between Durenor and Sommerlund still holds from the last Crusade, many smaller nations in both kingdoms still battle each other in ceaseless border skirmishes over land and ancient disputes with no end in sight.

The lands of men make war with each other while the eternal Darklords laugh in their blackened hall. Their lord and master Vashna may be gone and his power broken in centuries past, but the greatest part of their strength has returned with time. The world is nearly ready for their conquest, but for now they play with the hearts of those who dwell in brighter lands. A false word in the ear of one petty king drives his nation to war while a simple assassination drives another to close its borders permanently.

These machinations go undetected because men believe the darkness is gone. The many nations of Magnamund are so eager to trust in their own power that they cannot see the dangers that lie beneath the surface of their supposed ‘peace’. The world shudders beneath the weight of the Darklord’s manipulations, and none can see this evil for what it truly is.

Through puppets, spies, and quiet killers, the might of Helgedad reaches out to crush all the lands of light in its vile grasp. Magador’s king is a killer and a pretender, but he rules through the assurance of dark masters he is foolish enough to believe he can control. In Drodarin, the dwarven Gunners of Bor have developed terrible weapons of steel and flame but, at the whispered insistence of the Helghasts haunting their Tower Lords, they have these deadly guns pointed at their neighbors out of fear and paranoia. ‘All too easy,’ say the Masters of Helgedad. ‘All too easy.’

Into this world of wonders and horrors, a hero has emerged with the strength to save the land and the wisdom to see these dire events for what they are. Whether trained in magic or skilled with mighty weapons, this hero will take up the fight against the powers of Darkness wherever they hide. From this hero, there is no escape and there can be no quarter. The road will be a long one, but if you cannot succeed, Magnamund is surely doomed…